IBM eX5 Implementation Guide

444 IBM eX5 Implementation Guide

System event log

This log contains POST and system management interrupt (SMI) events and all events that

are generated by the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) that is embedded in the IMM.

You can view the system event log through the UEFI utility by pressing F1 at system start-up

and selecting System Event Logs  System Event Log. Also, you can view the system

event log through the Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) program (as the IPMI event log).

POST event log

This log contains the three most recent error codes and messages that were generated

during POST. You can view the POST event log through UEFI by pressing F1 at system

start-up and navigating to System Event Logs  POST Event Viewer.

8.8.2 Reinserting the Speed Burst card for extended outages

In the unlikely scenario that a 4-socket HX5 configuration might be reduced to a 2-socket

configuration due to a hardware failure, you can remove the IBM HX5 2-node scalability kit

and connect the IBM HX5 1-node Speed Burst kit to increase the processor performance.

This step is not mandatory for the remaining system to continue to operate. However, connect

the IBM HX5 1-node Speed Burst kit can boost CPU performance temporarily for CPU-bound

applications by doubling the QPI links between the CPUs on the remaining HX5.

This same solution also applies if you have HX5 with MAX5 attached and the MAX5 fails

completely.

8.8.3 Effects of power loss on HX5 2-node or MAX5 configurations

BladeCenter (BC) H by design is split into two power domains to provide redundancy to the

chassis. From a blade bay perspective, power domain 1 supplies power to blades 1 - 7 and

power domain 2 supplies power to blades 8 - 14.

If you install the primary blade server of a scalable blade complex in blade server bay 7 of a

BC H Type 8852 chassis, the secondary blade or MAX5 is installed in bay 8. This

configuration causes the blades to be split between two separate power domains. The

following situations can occur if there is a power loss to either power domain, depending on

how the scalable blade complex is implemented.

You might see the following effects of split power domains for HX5 4-socket configurations:

򐂰 A loss of power to power domain 1 results in both blade servers of a scalable partition

going down. The remaining primary node in bay 7 that still has power to it might be

powered on as a single complex system. You might receive errors on reboot stating that a

non-maskable interrupt (NMI) error occurred or that there are scalability problems. This

behavior is expected due to losing the power to the processors abruptly and the second

node being still physically connected via the scalability card but unavailable.

򐂰 If the scalable blade complex is implemented in stand-alone mode, a loss of power to

power domain 2 results in only the secondary blade server in bay 8 going down. The

primary blade remains powered on but still generates an error.

MAX5: In the unlikely event that a MAX5 fails completely, you must detach the MAX5 from

the HX5 by removing the IBM HX5 MAX5 1-Node Scalability kit to allow the HX5 to resume

normal operations.

Chapter 8. IBM BladeCenter HX5 445

You might see the following effects of split power domains for HX5 with MAX5 configurations:

򐂰 A loss of power to either power domain results in complete system shutdown.

򐂰 The HX5 will not be able to power on if the attached MAX5 in slot 8 has no power, because

the HX5 treats the entire system as a single unit. You must remove the IBM HX5 MAX5

1-Node Scalability kit to allow the HX5 to resume normal operation if power cannot be

restored to the second power domain that contains the MAX5.

Where possible, avoid placing HX5 4-socket or HX5 and MAX5 configurations across blade

bays 7 and 8.

BladeCenter design: The loss of power to an entire power domain is extremely unlikely

due to the redundant design of the BladeCenter H chassis. We provide this information

merely for guidance in the case of this unlikely event.

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